Cinema and Moving Image Research Assembly

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AgX, a new artist-run film lab and collective, is opening its doors to filmmakers, photographers and interdisciplinary artists who are interested in creating, appreciating and reimagining analog image making and photochemical processes.

On November 7 during Waltham Mills Open Studios, AgX is launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise $10,000 in order to finish construction on its lab and darkroom and to secure materials and equipment for collective use. At 6:30 that evening, a screening of members’ work and a party will celebrate the launch of AgX and this vital campaign.

After the success of many well-attended screenings and film workshops, the local non-profit Balagan Films responded to the needs of a vibrant, but scattered film community in the Boston area by teaming up with Waltham-based Handcranked Productions and local artists to create AgX, a community and a space where those interested in photochemical film processes can overcome the obstacles of the analog workflow, easily access specialized and often expensive equipment, and recover the beauty and pleasure of techniques considered lost or even obsolete.

With an active membership which includes individuals connected to many local colleges and institutions (Emerson College, MassArt, Montserrat College of Art, Harvard University, Harvard Film Archive, School of the Museum of Fine Arts) as well as those working on their own with little or no access to resources, AgX just signed the lease on a large space in the Waltham Mills Studios in Waltham, Mass.

Already holding works-in-progress screenings, purchasing large orders of film stock and sharing resources and knowledge, AgX members are now launching an Indiegogo campaign. The $10,000 goal will cover the costs of completing the construction of a darkroom, transporting donated equipment and purchasing additional materials and chemistry. With funding in place, AgX will be able to offer a place to edit (analog or digital), shoot, develop, print and endlessly experiment. There will be an optical printer, contact printer and an animation stand as well as cameras, lighting, sound and grip equipment. AgX will hold public screenings and workshops from local and international filmmakers on topics such as Super 8 and 16mm filmmaking or alternative developing methods. The crowd-sourced funds will also help AgX to broaden its membership, allowing for more affordable access to shared resources.

AgX joins a growing movement of artist-run film collectives and laboratories around the world—like Mono No Aware in New York, LIFT in Toronto, Process Reversal in Boulder, L’Abominable in Paris—who are creating a sustainable film ecosystem by combining the physical and mental resources of a strong community of experienced, veteran filmmakers and young artists newly introduced to the unique, time-tested machines and techniques. In these uncertain times which tend toward the digital and the disposable, such collaboration is necessary to protect the craft, open up new creative possibilities not possible within the commercial lab system and present a reputable force with collective purchasing power from instrumental industry players like Kodak.

AgX welcomes all filmmakers, artists, art patrons and other collaborators who would like to participate in this exciting creative venture! A screening of members’ work and a party will celebrate the launch of AgX and our fundraising campaign on Saturday November 7 beginning at 6:30pm.